Menopause Weekly Wisdoms

MAKING THE MIDLIFE SWITCH: Overcoming Menopause Symptoms Using the Natural Menopause Approach

You are not alone in your menopause journey

So many women feel alone and isolated when the dreaded midlife symptoms descend upon them. But that needn’t be the case. Millions of women experience these symptoms everyday in every walk of life, making them one of many ‘sisters’ suffering from the same symptoms simultaneously.

By 2020 it is estimated that there will be 1 billion women going through the menopause across the world. Almost three-quarters of menopausal women report symptoms of hot flushes or night sweats and often experience these symptoms for a decade or longer unless they learn how to switch them off.

SWITCH

The other day I wrote down on a piece of paper the word S.W.I.T.C.H. Since this is about midlife, I wanted each letter in this word to represent what can happen to you at this time of life.

S: Stressed because many people feel stressed about the changes and symptoms they experience during menopause W: Washed out because women lack energy and feel completely depleted I: Irritable because changing levels of oestrogen in the body during menopause can affect your mood and increase irritabilityT: Tired and not feeling at the top of your game. Maybe you can't sleep at night and you wake up early in the morning feeling nervous making it difficult to concentrate C: Confused because many women find they are unable to concentrate and feel like they've got brain fog and even experience memory loss H: Hormone havoc because we all know during this time our hormones are all over the place, you can't really tell what's going on as you just feel like the victim of your hormones.

Unfortunately a large portion of women buy into the idea that this is how their life is going to be from now on with no possibility of feeling good again. But I know from women who have gone through my programmes, that this assumption just isn’t true.

Using the same word again, here are the positive outcomes that happen to patients on my programmes.

S: Sexy and serene because you can get your sexy back again W: Wise because you've got so much more knowledge about the way you are feeling and how you can feel good again I: Intuitive because you're learning to listen to your body T: Trusting because you lose the sense of feeling like an alien and learn to trust your body, hormones and emotions again C: Calm and collected instead of feeling hot and bothered and awake half the night H: Happy hormones again now that you're back in the driving seat

Positive outlook

If I told you that in a few months you could be feeling serene, sexy, wise, intuitive, trusting, calm with harmonious hormones and completely symptom free, wouldn’t you want that? Wouldn’t any woman in her right mind? Yet, so many of us are left feeling stressed, washed out, tired, irritable, confused and horrendously hormonal, clinging on by our fingernails at midlife, wondering what hit them, with the distinct impression that this is the beginning of the end. Conflicting advice, information overload and using Dr Google often make it incredibly difficult to know where to start, and who to believe.

I can assure you it doesn’t have to be that way...

The natural menopause approach

In the 21st Century there is no need to suffer at the time of the menopause. There are effective solutions that can be tailored to individual taste, lifestyle and budget. That’s why I have developed a scientifically based, non-drug, natural approach to menopause pioneered by my team at the Natural Health Advisory Service. I use this approach as the foundation for all of my programmes, which have helped literally tens of thousands of women all over the world. In fact, over ninety per cent of women on my programmes report being symptom-free within five months! Are you ready to join the ranks?

Why my programme instead of HRT?

Hormone replacement therapy tends to be the one-stop solution for many practising medical professionals and the populace at large. I come across this belief everyday - even in my private Facebook group. Why? I view it as a combination of things such as the lack of knowledge or training (as in the case of medical professionals) regarding menopause; the hope of a one pill cure-all that can fix every issue in an unreal expectation for many women; and the misinformation of science behind HRT versus the natural menopause solution.

I have also discovered over the course of my work with menopausal women, that a substantial number have been misdiagnosed or attributed their symptoms to some other type of malady instead of the menopause. This lack of understanding of what’s going on in their bodies can have detrimental effects to both their physical and mental health. That’s why I am a firm believer in educating women about menopause. Armed with knowledge, women can make informed decisions on what course of action to take in order to reclaim their wellbeing.

The magic pill syndrome

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could swallow a pill and all of your menopause symptoms would disappear at the blink of an eye! Although most of us realise there is no such thing as a “magic pill”, I have observed that about half of the women I come in contact with, assume that if they just changed one aspect of their life (e.g. diet, exercise or supplements), that somehow their symptoms will go away.

Again this is where educating yourself about the menopause and your body factors in. I like to refer to my approach as a pie. You need to get a taste of all the pieces for it work. Once everything is balanced, you will gradually see the changes until all of your symptoms are gone.

Menopause misinformation

Although HRT still appears to be the treatment of choice for physicians or clinicians due it’s touted safety, current research has muddied the waters.

For example, a study published in Neurology Journal last year reported HRT potentially decreases the risk of dementia in women. On the surface that sounds like a compelling argument to encourage women to take hormones to manage their menopause. After further probing, I discovered that these findings only related to HRT patches. Those on oral HRT had a greater rate of decline in whole brain volume and white matter lesions were also detected in the oral therapy group. The lesions not only persisted during the active part of the study but didn’t appear to correct themselves after the study. To my horror, I learned that these same lesions are associated with an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and death.

Another study on over two thousand women concluded that the proportion of participants with depressive mood and suicidal thoughts was significantly higher in the HRT group. More than ten years of HRT treatment, for example, was linked with a doubling of suicidal thoughts when comparing the hormone users with women who hadn’t taken hormones to manage their menopause.

As a far as I am concerned HRT should be a last resort. With the availability of natural alternatives, it is possible to relieve your menopause symptoms before considering HRT. By making the right changes in diet, lifestyle and taking properly science-based supplements, you can manage your menopause symptoms and have the tools to protect your health later in life.

My natural menopause approach

Although you may be one of those women who live in dread of the certain aspects of your midlife journey, one common thread I have noticed in my patients is renewed zest for life. The resurgence of happy hormones help encourage healthier living with improved self-esteem, allowing my patients to feel better than they can ever remember.

In addition, my natural menopause approach relies on medical based research to ensure that you get back into good nutritional shape. Adding phytoestrogen rich foods into your diet fools your body into thinking there is naturally occurring oestrogen again.

This is achieved by ensuring you have a balanced diet rich in phytoestrogens, regular exercise, taking clinically tested supplements and reserving time for formal relaxation every day.

Managed self-help: 14 Day Menopause Empowerment Programme. This web-based self-help programme takes you through the steps to recovery with daily videos and written materials giving you advice about controlling your symptoms. PLUS DAILY REMINDERS AND ONLINE tools to keep you on track.

Listen to my Menopause Weekly Wisdom Video, where I discuss the Menopause Mindset as part of the midlife switch journey.

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Supplements of the week

This week’s recommended supplements include Lamberts Fema 45+, a excellent all around multivitamin to help with menopause symptoms. This week I also have had several questions pertaining to sleep disturbances. A good supplement for this is Schwabe Pharma Valerian NiteHerb.

Lamberts Fema 45+ tablets are a blend of 28 nutrients recommended for women going through the menopause. Particularly aimed at supporting long term bone health, as well as alleviating side effects of hormone changes during menopause.

Contains excellent levels of B vitamins.

With calcium, magnesium and vitamin D for bone health.

High levels of vitamin E, for skin and hair health.

More and more women are choosing to use vitamins and dietary supplements to help them manage their menopause symptoms. In fact, 48% of women in one survey said they regularly used vitamins to help them cope with symptoms of menopause. Lamberts Fema 45+ provides 28 nutrients at relevant levels including the trace minerals and plenty of antioxidants. It also provides good levels of magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamins D and K to reflect the current thinking on bone health. B vitamins are known to contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.